The Tangipahoa Parish Council on Oct. 14 approved a set of infrastructure actions: seeking bids for a new courthouse elevator at the back of the building, seeking bids for Hoover Road widening (Phase 2A), approving a change order that decreases the Hoover Road water-line relocation contract, and accepting the completed relocated water-line work for Hoover Road Phase 2.

On the courthouse elevator, councilors approved seeking bids to replace the original rear elevator, citing rising repair costs and difficulty obtaining parts for the 1960s-era unit. “The repairs are becoming very costly for the elevator … they expect that this repair will just be a band aid,” a parish official explained; the motion to seek bids passed by roll call.

The council approved going out to bid for Hoover Road widening Phase 2A (the item and associated Phase 2 work were capital outlay funded), and later agreed to a change order that reduced the water-line relocation contract by $10,540, bringing that contract total to $434,211. The roll-call votes for the bids and the change order passed.

Councilors also approved acceptance of the relocated water-line work; engineers and inspectors certified the project as complete and suitable for acceptance. Separately, the council authorized hiring a contractor to remove trash and debris at 20155 Esther Brook Road in Ponchatoula and to lien the property for the contract cost plus administrative fees.

Parish President Robbie Miller updated the council on Smitty’s recovery operations. Miller said the Environmental Protection Agency and a task force have increased resources and cleanup activity over the previous three weeks, with roughly 360–380 contract workers active across three work streams: the facility site, contaminated ponds, and riverbank/shoreline cleanup. He said the river was “really close to being okay” while noting the river’s length and complexity make precise timelines difficult. Miller said the parish is now part of the Unified Command and is pressing for clear timelines and more access. “We are in a much better place today than we were 6 weeks ago, but there's still a lot of work to be done,” he said.

Why it matters: The approvals move forward multiple capital and maintenance projects that affect public safety, transportation and county facilities. The Smitty’s update provides the latest parish-level status on a major industrial contamination response with ongoing public-health and economic consequences.